Many dog owners seek out a daycare option for their pet in order to ensure their pup receives plenty of exercise and socialization while they’re away at work. This is smart thinking. Unfortunately, dog daycare isn’t a good idea for every dog. Especially those who might appear to need it most, like hyperactive dogs. Luckily, there are plenty of activities for hyperactive dogs that you can do instead of daycare!
This might seem counterintuitive. Aren’t you supposed to bring your high-energy pup to daycare to play and burn off steam? Yes and no. There is a difference between active and hyperactive dogs.
Active dogs require daily exercise and a mix of activities. They typically are able to listen and respond to commands. Hyperactive dogs, however, often exhibit a lack of impulsive control, possess short attention spans, and may be attention seeking. They frequently ignore basic commands making them difficult to control. These types of behaviors in a pack environment can cause chaos and unnecessary conflict among other daycare members.
Hyperactive dogs deserve the exercise they crave, but in a more appropriate setting. Regular, high-intensity activities will help to prevent boredom as well as destructive behaviors in hyperactive dogs. Activities such as K9 Nose Works, agility training, or lure coursing are good choices because they let a dog to channel their natural instincts into positive behaviors. Behavioral training can also help improve impulse control and reduce attention-seeking activities, such as jumping – and even get a dog ready for daycare.
So before you head for daycare, consider these top five alternatives:
Activities for Hyperactive Dogs
Running
High-impact and engaging, running is a perfect way to start your day. The trick is to take a different route every day to provide additional mental stimulation for your dog.
Fetch
This is an oldie, but a goodie. Fetch provides an intense and stimulating exercise for your dog. To make sure your dog doesn’t get bored, mix in objects that don’t have a predictable bounce like West Paw’s Hurley Bone or Planet Dog’s Orbee-Tuff Produce.
Treadmill Workout
Like running, a treadmill workout can offer high-impact training, plus it offers the added benefit of practicing eye-paw coordination, which keeps your dog’s mind engaged.
Agility
Agility is stimulating and engaging for dogs even at the basic level. Dogs learn to maneuver through a course with different textures while also meeting physical demands. Keep in mind that agility does not offer a high-intensity workout so you might want to run or walk your dog prior to a class.
Hiking
A rigorous hike offers plenty of exercise and helps break up your dog’s week with a change of scenery and some doggy socialization. Fitdog offers hikes for your dog while you are at work, making it a convenient alternative, too.
We hope all dogs can get the exercise they crave and deserve. By providing your dog with sufficient exercise, you can help them feel their best. If you live in Los Angeles and you’re interested in getting your hyperactive dog signed up for awesome Sports, Excursions, and Training classes, check out Group Classes!